25. From Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro

The portion between Villafranca del Bierzo and O Cebreiro is more difficult, firstly because it spans over 30 kilometers and secondly because the last part of the journey consists of a 600 meters ascent.

Before leaving Villafranca del Bierzo make sure to stock up on supplies as, depending on the route you take, you might not find another settlement for the next three hours. Some pilgrims prefer to split this day as the last part might be too difficult to undertake in the afternoon. Do the camino in the way that is most comfortable and most pleasant for you.

There are two possible routes you can take in the first part of the day. The first one follows the main road and passes through Pereje before reaching Trabadelo and the second one is a more difficult, albeit a more scenic route where you climb and descent.

After leaving Trabadelo you will find many villages on your way where you can get water and food. These last villages in the province of Leon are very small, often with less than 50 inhabitants. They are in this order: La Portela de Valcarce, Ambasmestas, Vega de Valcarce, Ruitelan, Las Herreias de Valcarce, La Faba, La Laguna de Castilla.

The road will start its ascent after the village of Las Herreias de Valcarce but there are albergues in all these villages.

La Laguna de Castilla is the last village in the province of Leon and O Cebreiro is the first village in Galicia. It is a bigger village than the ones you encountered today and has most things a pilgrim needs.

The distance between Villafranca del Bierzo to O Cebreiro is 27.8 km and here are the stops you are going through today: Pereje, Pradela, Trabadelo, La Portela de Valcarce, Ambasmestas, Vega de Valcarce, Ruitelán, Las Herrerías, La Faba, Laguna de Castilla. See below the map: